Students are heading back to colleges, football is in the air, grapes are almost ready to harvest and Oktoberfest plans are under way.

It's almost autumn --and for many of us, that means we'll be heading south down Interstate 5, one of the flattest, straightest freeways in the West.

To help alleviate the tedium of the drive, we suggest the following places along the way to stop the car and stretch your legs

Uncommon grounds

The adjacent State Capitol and Willamette University grounds give Salem one of the state's most pleasant urban walks. A trail isn't necessary: Just walk where you please to enjoy the historic buildings, the trees, flowers, fountains, flags and squirrels. Informative walking tour brochures are available for both places, at the visitor information center in the Capitol and at Putnam University Center on campus.

Find it: Take Salem's Market Street exit, No. 256, and go west 1.7 miles. Turn left on Summer Street and go south to reach the Capitol in a half-mile. Willamette University, oldest in the West, is across State Street behind the Capitol.

Birds on the brain

A world of wildlife awaits those savvy enough to take a short detour west of I-5 just south of Salem. Waterfowl and raptors flock to Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge between fall and spring migrations. While the refuge is managed for the birds, humans are welcome to stop at two overlooks and take short hikes, totaling about a mile, over boardwalks to two more.

Find it: Take Ankeny Hill exit, No. 243, and drive south and then west on Wintel Road. The Rail Trail comes at 2.2 miles from the freeway; the Egret Marsh Boardwalk Tail is 0.3 miles farther.

Terry RichardAnkeny National Wildlife Refuge south of Salem.

A beaut of a butte

The southern hump on Eugene's skyline is Spencer Butte, at 2,054 feet about twice as high as the tallest hill in Portland. The westside trail (left after the stairs) to the summit climbs 800 feet in a half-mile, steep enough that steps have been dug into the bare hillside to keep hikers from sliding back to the parking lot. Make the loop around the south side (right after the stairs) to have a bit easier summit hike from the east. Poison oak thrives on sunny slopes, so stay on the paths.

Find it: Take Exit 194B west and follow signs to downtown and Eighth Avenue. Turn from Eighth left onto Willamette Street and go south 5.4 miles from downtown to Spencer Butte parking lot.

Terry RichardHikers atop Spencer Butte on the south edge of Eugene.

Promised land

When Elijah Bristow surveyed the Willamette Valley from a butte tucked between the river's Coast Fork and Middle Fork, it reminded him of the biblical story of Moses spotting the Jordan Valley from Mount Pisgah. Thus, in 1846, the founder of Lane County bestowed the same name on the butte that rises at the southeast edge of modern Eugene. Mount Pisgah is laced with trails, but it also supports a healthy population of poison oak, so it's safest to stay on the wide track that climbs to the 1,516-foot summit. The hike is 1-1/2 miles and gains 1,000 feet.

Find it: Take Exit 189 in south Eugene to the 30th Avenue overpass (southbound traffic will need to parallel the freeway one mile to the overpass). On the east side of the freeway at 30th Avenue, go north 0.2 miles, turn east on Franklin for 0.4 miles, then go east again on Seavy Loop Road two miles to the Mount Pisgah Arboretum. It's a little tricky, so just follow signs to Howard Buford Recreation Area. The trail starts at the parking lot's upper loop. Bring $2 to feed the parking machine.

Terry RichardThe monument on the summit of Mount Pisgah near Eugene.

Row your boots

The recreational jewel along the Oregon stretch of I-5 is the Row River Trail, a 15-mile paved path from the center of Cottage Grove east to beyond Dorena Lake. The old log-hauling railroad was acquired by the federal Bureau of Land Management in 1984 for conversion to a recreation trail. The Mosby Creek trailhead may be the most attractive in the state, with volunteers living on-site year-round to keep flowers blooming, grass clipped and garbage picked up. Scenic Mosby covered bridge is near the trailhead, though it is used for vehicle traffic and is not part of the trail.

Find it: Take north Cottage Grove Exit 175 and drive east on Row River Road. Go 1.1 miles, then turn right on the short Row River Connector. Turn left and drive 1.7 miles east on Mosby Creek Road to the trailhead.

Oh, deer

The Row River Trail may be the recreational gem of the I-5 corridor because of its developed facilities, but the North Bank Habitat Management Area may be the most scenic place to hike near the freeway. Where else can you drive 51/2 miles from I-5 and get the feel of wilderness? A former cattle ranch, the 6,500-acre BLM preserve is home to a significant portion of Douglas County's Columbian white-tailed deer, which were removed from the federal endangered species list in 2003. The view takes in one of Oregon's most beautiful river valleys, the North Umpqua. Poison oak abounds, so avoid it by walking the old road that climbs into the hills. Watch for the few places where the plant grows in the road.

Find it: Southbound, take Exit 135 at Sutherlin, then drive four miles south on the east side of the freeway to the center of Wilbur, where a sign says North Bank Road. Northbound, take Exit 129 at Winchester, then go 1.8 miles on the east side of the freeway to Wilbur. Drive east 5.5 miles on North Bank Road to a parking area on the left. From the parking area, hike the old road north for three miles, with a 1,400-foot gain, to the top of a grassy butte at 2,000 feet in elevation.